Alloy and method of making the same



Patented Sept. 1, 1936 .."-T'-f:, 1 wn-Es "ST-Ares PATENT OFFICE.

ALLOY AND 'METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Friedrich Kempka, New York, N. Y.,assignor of one-half to Edward VanHoofstadt, North ValleyStreani, LongIsland, N. Y.

No' Drawing. Application April 10, 1934,

Serial No. 719,852

2 claims. (01. 148-2) Thisinventiomrelatesprimarily to an alloy ofample, as mild steels, nickel steel, tool steel or cast iron and ametal-derived from or containing practically any other steel or otheralloy which iron, and especially usef l inpatching or repairmay beconsidered best suited forthe particular ing othertmetalszderived fromor containing iron. purpose for which the alloy is to be used. I have 5One object of the invention is to provide an found,however, that verysatisfactory results can 5' 'all'oy which maybe worked conveniently atrelabe had'b'y' using a cheap mild steel in the interest tivlyLlowtemperatures and'may be-applied to of economy. Thus I may take, e. g.,one-half wornicr brokenparts'insucnmanner as to form pound of mildsteel. This together with onean economical repair, so constituted thatthe half ounce of borax and preferably one-quarter repair thus providedis more durable than the ounce of copper are fused together in the same10 original material and'canibe accomplished for a manner as the firststep of the process and the relatively small fraction of .thecost of areplacemolten material is permitted to fall in the form ment part. ofdrops or globules into the water as before to One practical illustrationof the method of form the product of the second step of this forming thealloy of this invention :is as follows. process. 15 As a:first step,apply sufficient temperature to Having obtained separately andindependently say, one pound of cast iron, in the presence of twodistinct products from the first and second one ounce of borax, .tocausethe cast iron to flow steps of the process, these two products aremeltsufiiciently to bring about a fusing together of ed together withthe addition of an appropriate the boraxand cast iron. The iron 'usedingrayflux, say, one ounce of borax in a crucible or in 0 iron castingsworks very well for this purpose. any other suitable manner and to atemperature The temperature applied should be sufficient to wherein theywill thoroughly admix with one ancause this fusing, but should bemaintained as other. During this third step of the method, I low aspossible while still bringing about this repreferably employaccompanying agitation of the sult. I have obtained very satisfactoryresults mass in order to get a thorough admixture of the 5 through theuse of an acetylene flame applied to constituents. This agitation may beobtained by the iron and borax in such manner that, as the a flameormechanically, as may be desired, but heatmelts the iron and fuses itwith the borax, in this third step of the method, 'as well as in thefused mass drops out of the zone :of the the prior steps, thetemperature must be kept as 0 flame, so that there is not -a tooprolonged or low as possible, for if too high a temperature is 3'0excessive heating. The fused mass is permitted used, the resulting endproduct becomes so hard to drop into water and forms :globules or dropsthat it cannot be worked and'cannot be softened of different sizes,although, in practice, the heatexcept by prolonged annealing.

ing may be carried'on in an electric or other fur- After theconstituents of the first and second nace, so controlled as to cause thefusing restepsare thoroughly admixed in the third step, 3 ferred towithout excessive heating andthe fused as'stat'ed, theresultingadmixture is run out into material may be removed in a-crucible orothersuitable molds for the purpose of forming the wise, and thereafterpoured into 'water. The endproductof the process. The resulting alloypurpose of dropping the fused material into material is hard and brittleand can .be shaped 40 water is primarily to eliminate impurities from bytools only after heat treatment to soften the 40 the material and thismay be accomplished in same. any other equivalent way known to the artif I have expressly referredto the employment of desired. 1 copperand'have described aproportion of aboutB The globulesor drops obtainedwhen dropped per cent, by weight, of the mildsteel used, i. e.,

into water may be in difierent sizes or may be between. 1 and 2 per centof the entire mass. 45 reheated and cast in appropriate molds, if pre-This copper I prefer to employ because I fin'd'that ferred, butit-is'thoroughly satisfactory and conit assists in making the resultingalloy free'fiowvenient to leave them in the condition in which i'ngandthat the alloy works better with the copthey are initially formed forfurther use. They per therein. 3 per cent copper, as stated, givesconstitute the basis of .the alloy of this invention, an economicalcomposition and a thoroughly sat- 50 and are the product'of the firststep of the isfactory one in practice. I'may, however, use process. lessor dispense with the copper :entirelyif a very As a second stepin theprocess, I fuse together hard brittle alloy is desired, or I may useslightly in substantially the same maner as in the first more copperthan stated, but as the percentage step the materials which are tobealloyed with of copper is increased, there is a decrease'in the 55 theproduct of the first step. These materials hardness of the final productand if too much may vary without departing from the invention, copper isadded, the copper tends'to separate durbut they embody in every instancea metal deing'the welding operation and accumulate .as a rived from orcontaining iron. A wide variety surface shell for the resulting weld.The copper of such metals may be employed, such, for extherefore shouldbe kept down to a point beyond the manner described not use as amaterial for the which this formation of a shell will not occur if ahard surface is desired in the'final product.

The alloy of the present invention resulting from the novel stepshereinbefore enumerated may be used in various ways, but is particularlyuseful as a patching material. As such, it may be applied to worn orbroken parts through'the em-' ployment of an acetylene torch or anyother suitable source of heat, following substantially the technique ofthe welding artwith certain'exceptions. That is to say, the material isused like ordinary welding rod and is applied in the same manner. It isbuilt up to the desired extent over the part to be repaired or patchedand at temperatures sufiicient to produce a proper weld,'but not so highas to overheat. In other words, the material should be heated no morethan necessary to obtain a proper weld. After the alloy has beenapplied, as stated, the assembled parts should be permitted to slowlycool. The cooling should be relatively slow and should not be speededup. It is preferably accomplished in the absence of drafts and ifdesired may be controlled by ovens or otherwise, so that return to roomtemperature is slowly brought about. When thus cooled, the alloymaterial added is relatively soft. It can be worked with tools, files,cutters, etc., and thus shaped and proportioned to the desired form anddimensions.

raised to a temperature of approximately cherry red and immediatelyquenched, preferably in Water. My experience has shown that the higherthe temperature the harder the product and thus the temperature duringthis step will be used as desired. During this last heating andquenching step, there is practically no deformation or distortion of themetal, so that if parts have been properly machined to shape and size,they will remain so through the last mentioned step. After hardening asstated, the material is so hard that it cannot be worked with file ortools although it may be polished with appropriate polishing materialsif desired. Nevertheless it is of appreciably greater hardness than anyof the separate materials which have entered into its manufacture andwill withstand wear and vibration almost indefinitely. It is notable,however, that the material does not possess, in finished hardened form,any appreciable degree of ductility. It has a tendency to fracture ifstretched above a relativelylow elastic limit. It commends itselfparticularly for use in patching and like manufacturing or repairoperations because of the economy of its manufacture and application andby reason of the remarkable hardness and resistance to wear of thefinished job.

The alloy of the present invention does not possess any great degree ofinherent tensile strength and is thus not intended primarily formanufacture of small parts. If the parts are relatively large andrugged, however, the alloy may be so used, but I have found in practicethat where the material in my invention is backed up or used upon afoundation of some other metal, from which it can derive its inherentstrength, it is highly satisfactory for manyuses and particularly thosewhere a high resistance to wear is of primary importance.

I have applied the alloy of this invention in only to cast iron, but

stated, a very after the alloy etc., for it is V to readily permit ofefficient shaping in this way. For example, the alloy made up of castiron, mild steel and copper in the proportions hereinbefore to a widevariety of steels and'irons and I have found that when applied to theseother metals or alloys by welding operations, as hereinbeforesatisfactory bond is obtainable.

I have hereinbefore referred to the fact that of this invention has beenapplied to another metal and allowed to cool slowly, that it can bereadily worked with cutting tools, files, of a sufficient degree ofsoftness stated has been found, when in such relatively soft workablecondition, to have, as shown by various tests, a Rockwell hardness (Cscale) of between 35 and 45, whereas when hardened and in its final formfor use as a wear resistant, it has been found to possess a Rockwellhardness of from 51 to 57.- When it is borne in mind that the well knownStellite has a 57 Rockwell hard ness, some indication maybe hadof theremarkable hardness of which the alloy of this invention is capable inits finished condition and this accounts largely for its great abilityto withstand wear. I

In the foregoing detailed description, I have set forth the preferredmanner of practising the present invention. I have set forth the varioussteps of the process whereby the alloy is com-' pounded. I havedescribed the alloy and I have described a method whereby said alloy maybe used to produce wear resisting parts of a high degree. The inventionembodies the foregoing aspects severally, as well as collectively, andis to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claims;

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters 1 Patent is:

1. The process which consists in the following steps, utilizingsubstantially the proportions state-d; namely, fusing togetherone poundof cast iron and 1 ounce of borax to form one product, fusing together1/ pound of mild steel and ounce of borax to produce. a second product,then fusing together the first and second products with an additional 1ounce of borax, and permitting the combined product to cool to roomtemperature, thereafter welding a quantity of this combined product toan independent metallic body in the presence 'of a borax flux to add tosaid body a massof said combined product and allowing said mass toslowly cool to room temperature, thereafter machining the applied massto the desired shape and size, thereafter heating said applied mass to ahardening temperature and thereupon quenching the said applied mass.

2. The herein described process which consists in fusing together castiron and borax, separately fusing together mild steel and boraX,then'fusing together the resulting two products with the addition offurther borax to provide a combined product, thereafter welding aquantity of the combined product to a separate metallic body to form amass of said combined product thereon and allowing the same'to slowlycool to room temperature, thereafter working the applied mass to thedesired shape and dimension with appropriate tools, thereafter raisingthe temperature 'of the thus worked applied mass to a hardening

